Recently, I have been getting an occasional ABS warning light (as well as TRACS). I get it maybe one start every two weeks. When it comes on, I restart the car at the next traffic light, and it goes away after a short time.

Is this situation familiar to anyone? I know that replacements are available from IPD and others, which tells me that it is a known problem. What I don't get is the infrequent nature of the problem. I've tested the system, and it works fine when the light is off.

Maybe this is naive, but is there any chance that just cleaning the electrical connection would help/fix this?

- Matt

 

I had a similar problem on my '00 V70 R - same symptoms and everything.
Eventually, it went solid failed - nothing I did could get it back.

In my case (and it seems like a lot of cases here), it was a failed ABS controller module.
The failure seems to be cold solder joints on the bigger pins on the circuit board. When I opened mine, it was obvious that 2 of the bigger pins had bad solder joints. I reflowed those plus some others that looked "suspicious". Mine was assembled in the Philippines - my wife is from the Philippines and her comment was "No wonder it failed" (joke - really!!)

You can buy a new ABS controller for around $800.
You can buy a refurbished ABS controller for $150 to $350.
Or, you can remove your existing ABS controller, cut it open, re-solder the cold-solder joints and save yourself all of the above. That's what I did - and it was surprisingly easy to do - if you are handy with a soldering iron.

The dealer / repair shop should charge 1 hour shop time for the R&R of the ABS controller + the cost of the part.

The ABS controller is the electronic unit that is bolted to the bottom of the ABS actuator near the brake master cylinder. It has 4 "torx" head screws that hold it to the ABS actuator. It took me 1 hour to remove it, 1 hour to cut it open and repair the solder joints, 20 minutes to reinstall and 3 days to get over the arthritis in my lower back. No plumbing work and no bleeding of the brakes required.
I repaired mine about 4 weeks ago, and it has been fine since then.

 

That's really interesting. I guess that would explain the intermittent nature of the light if solder joints are flaky. Your fix makes sense, and sounds like it's worth a shot. I do have a question: Once the unit is repaired and reinstalled, do I need to have the dealer reprogram it?

- Matt

 

Not for me.
I just plugged it back in and everything was fine the first time I started it up.
There are other posts that said they needed to wait for a few days of driving before the ABS / TRACS light went out - not me.

Worst case scenario (in my mind) is you cut up the ABS controller, reflow the solder joints, put it back - and it doesn't work. You can still use it as a core when you buy the replacement ABS controller. There is no real downside.

 

Try this

http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/for...ic.php?p=46827

 

Mine turned out to be abd ABS Module.

And Yes I tried the soldeing trick to no avail.

I bought a rebuilt ABS Module from BBA-reman.com for $110 (incl shipping), so far so good 3 years later. BTW, BBA-reman.com has L.T. warranty on the ABS Module.

PS: You need an E-torx socket to remove the screws.